Energy efficiency and exergy analysis in ceramics factory

In today's world, the demand for energy is predominantly met through fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas. However, it is an inevitable reality that fossil fuels will deplete in the near future. The escalating costs of energy pose a significant challenge for the ceramic industry, particularly in processes involving thermal treatments such as drying and firing. Approximately 43% of the natural gas used in the ceramic sector is consumed in spray dryers, while 53% is utilized in kilns. Improving the efficiency of these processes can enhance product quality, reduce processing times and energy consumption, and yield both economic and environmental benefits. Therefore, energy and exergy analyses are essential for every heat-utilizing process. Exergy analysis proves to be a robust tool in the thermodynamic evaluation of complex engineering processes, taking into account not only the quantity but also the quality, degradation, and irreversibility of energy. This study aims to determine the energy and exergy values of a substance at the input and output stages of baking and drying units in a ceramic factory. Accordingly, energy loss, exergy loss, and exergy destruction were calculated based on the provided values. The examined system involves inputs such as slurry, natural gas, and combustion air, while outputs consist of mass and flue gases. The required air volume for the examined Atm-90 type spray dryers is approximately 160,000 m3/h. Waste air from the cooling and heat exchange systems, when mixed with the feed air of the spray dryer, can result in energy savings ranging from 20% to 30%. The average electricity consumption for the spray dryer was determined to be 142 kWh.